by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:40 AM ET, Wed July 22, 2026
President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. government to allow all domestic airlines to fly direct flights to Lebanon, marking the first since 1985.
According to Reuters, Trump met with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday, July 21, after which he made the announcement.
All flights from the U.S. to Lebanon were suspended in 1985 after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 from Athens to Rome. The hijacking led to the plane landing in Beirut and led to a 17-day hostage situation. Authorities believe it was carried out by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
While the resumption of flights still has to receive the proper approval from the Department of Transportation, airlines might not want to fly directly to Lebanon—at least not right now.
Major U.S. airlines, including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, aren’t currently flying to neighboring Tel Aviv, Israel, due to security concerns.
Israel and Lebanon’s 80-year conflict has intensified recently as the U.S.-Iran war also continues. Israel’s military currently occupies much of southern Lebanon. Lebanon is currently listed as a Level 4 by the U.S. State Department, urging travelers not to visit the country.
A June 26 plan for a potential peace between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel seems hopeful, according to the Associated Press, but only time will tell.
Trump said of Lebanon during the meeting with Aoun: “It’s been a very badly treated place and country, and we’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves. We’re gonna help it a lot,” he said of Lebanon.
He did not give concrete details on what kind of help America would give Lebanon, beyond the resumption of flights.
The FAA said it "looks forward to working with airlines and our interagency partners to implement the President’s directive and support the safe return of flights to Lebanon."
This isn’t the first time Trump’s approved nonstop routes to countries which the government had previously banned.
Following the military hostage-taking of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January, service resumed in April after seven years, with American Airlines being the first air carrier to fly nonstop to Caracas. Ahead of the route's resumption, the U.S. State Department lowered the travel advisory for Venezuela from a Level 4 to a Level 3.
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